Memories of Summer in the Holler

I  can't believe summer is almost over. I can't believe school starts for Jackson in 1.5 weeks. I can't believe my firstborn child is going to be in kindergarten! I can't believe summer is almost over!!!

I remember when I was their age...it seemed as though summer lasted forever. I have great memories of all those summers. You see, I grew up on the outskirts of town...in an 8 room farmhouse, baby. (Ok, it was a 7 room farmhouse...so close to living out the song "Cherry Bomb.") Anyway...those were the good ol' days. No, really. I don't remember doing anything super exciting. We just did normal kid stuff. I think we were outside playing from the time the sun came up in the morning until it melted back down on the other side of the world. We played in the barns, jumped off the chicken coop (which I swear is why I no longer have cartilage in my knees), and we ate vegetables straight from the garden.  

I remember one summer, after watching mud wrestling at the Jackson County Fair (man, I love the holler)...my brother and I dragged the hose out to the garden and had our own mud wrestling contest. I remember the blue terry cloth outfit I wore and how it felt wonderful to be covered in the cold, refreshing mud. I also remember the fear I felt when my mom discovered us mud wrestling. I'm still amazed that she was ok with it. I also remember how cold it was being rinsed off outside with the garden hose before we were allowed to go back inside the house.

I remember learning to ride a bike on a little old red and white bicycle that had been passed down in the family. I also remember riding the bike into a gutter and popping the wheel off the front. I remember crying, because of all the kids that rode that bike, I was the one to break it. And I remember my dad telling me not to cry...it's no big deal...the bike wasn't that special after all.

I remember my older brother and I sitting outside in the evenings.  I remember feeling the heat and humidity and thinking nothing of it at all.  I remember watching the "heat lightening" off in the distance...and I remember my brother telling me it was nuclear warfare going on in Russia.  (I, of course, believed him...because he was my older brother...and super smart...and he knew everything.)

I also remember how excited I was to go back to school in the fall. It was just "that feeling" of starting a new school year. The excitement of a new teacher. Of new folders. Of seeing all my friends again. I wonder what my boys are feeling now? Are they going to have that same sense of excitement? That excitement that is also laced with nervousness and apprehension? I hope that they do...because it's a feeling they'll always remember but never really be able to explain.

I hope more than anything that they are making good memories. I hope that their summer was fulfilling...even though we seem to keep things simple....just like when I was growing up. Bible school. Swim lessons. The park. The lake. The backyard. This is where we've spent our summer...and I think it was a good one.